{"id":27062,"date":"2023-09-11T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-09-11T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=27062"},"modified":"2023-09-12T06:42:27","modified_gmt":"2023-09-12T06:42:27","slug":"richardson-highlights-afmcs-integral-role-in-next-gen-bomber-program-during-afa-keynote","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/?p=27062","title":{"rendered":"Richardson highlights AFMC\u2019s integral role in next-gen bomber program during AFA keynote"},"content":{"rendered":"
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WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFNS) — \u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n

Using the acquisition and fielding of the Air Force\u2019s newest bomber as a backdrop,\u202fGen. Duke Z. Richardson<\/strong><\/a>, Air Force Materiel Command Commander, emphasized the critical role the organization maintains in outpacing and deterring the People\u2019s Republic of China in a high-profile address, Sept. 11 during the Air Force Association\u2019s\u202f2023 Air, Space and Cyber Conference<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the machine of our nation\u2019s defense, we are the powerhouse,\u201d Richardson said. \u201cOutpacing and deterring the People\u2019s Republic of China starts with AFMC. \u2018Accelerate Change or Lose\u2019 isn\u2019t just a bumper sticker. It\u2019s our call to action.\u201d<\/p>\n

During his address, Richardson highlighted AFMC\u2019s vital role in the fielding and life cycle of every Air Force platform and capability, to include installations as power projection platforms for the service. Using the\u202fB-21 Raider<\/strong><\/a>\u202fas an example, he stressed the command\u2019s reliance on integrated work across its six purpose-built centers and program executive offices, alongside the need for the materiel enterprise to accelerate pace to remain ahead of the PRC and other modern adversaries.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Air Force relies on creative AFMC Airmen to deliver capabilities faster by leveraging every available tool,\u201d Richardson said. \u201cWe\u2019re focused on enterprise solutions, digital materiel management, and collaboration with our warfighters across every MAJCOM for every weapon system. The B-21 program exemplifies our commitment to delivering integrated capabilities, covering all aspects of the life cycle, from research and development, through acquisition and testing, to long-term sustainment and support.\u201d<\/p>\n

The\u202fDepartment of the Air Force Rapid Capabilities Office<\/strong><\/a>\u202fis leading the development of the B-21 Raider, under the direction of the Under Secretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment and the Secretary of the Air Force. AFMC is partnering closely with the DAF RCO in the development of the platform and comprises nearly 70% of the Program Executive Office team.<\/p>\n

Richardson\u2019s keynote address detailed the specific types of support each of the six AFMC centers provide to the B-21 program office and short videos by subject matter experts from each AFMC organization offered first-hand accounts of the ongoing work.<\/p>\n

He spoke about the\u202fAir Force Research Laboratory<\/strong><\/a>\u2019s role in creating novel technologies for improved aircraft performance, operational efficiency and enhanced mission execution, highlighting the center\u2019s role in B-21 material certification and evaluative testing, environmental assessments, technology maturation and more.<\/p>\n

\u201cAFRL\u2019s innovations translate to improved aircraft performance, operational efficiency and enhanced mission success rates,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Richardson then spoke of the acquisition and fielding role led by the\u202fAir Force Life Cycle Management Center<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n

More than 237 AFLCMC personnel currently support the B-21 program in areas ranging from financial management and contracting to digital acquisition, systems engineering, airworthiness certification and production planning. The overall goal is to ensure that the platform is safe, secure, effective, available and sustainable over the long term.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur team at LCMC provides warfighting capabilities at the speed of relevance, and the B-21 is no exception,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Richardson then highlighted the\u202fAir Force Nuclear Weapons Center<\/strong><\/a>\u2019s role in the B-21\u2019s nuclear certification, safe escape distance analysis, hardness assessment, and Nuclear Command, Control and Communications planning. With the platform designed to be a dual-capable penetrating strike stealth bomber capable of delivering both conventional and nuclear munitions, AFNWC expertise is critical to ensuring safety and viability over the long term.<\/p>\n

First-hand accounts of an Air Force test pilot and maintainer showcased the\u202fAir Force Test Center<\/strong><\/a>\u2019s responsibility for B-21 flight test planning and operations and related support in areas such as systems engineering, maintenance, business operations and information technology. Richardson discussed the center\u2019s role in putting the B-21 through a combination of realistic simulations, intensive exercises, and carefully designed evaluations.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis process goes beyond routine testing and dives deep into understanding the capabilities. The test center stresses our systems to determine failure modes and maintenance challenges in a controlled environment, vice during war,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

As the B-21 moves towards operational capability, Richardson talked about how the\u202fAir Force Sustainment Center<\/strong><\/a>\u202fis working to ensure readiness for depot maintenance and sustainment activity. AFSC teams currently aligned to the B-21 program provide organic software development and testing, composite and propulsion support, depot activation, facility planning and more, ensuring the organic capability to maintain the platform\u2019s lethality into the future.<\/p>\n

\u201cTransitioning from developing, acquiring, and testing to heavy maintenance, our sustainers showcase real-world, wrench turning stories,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

With the B-21 slated to operate out of Ellsworth AFB<\/strong><\/a>, South Dakota, with Whiteman AFB<\/strong><\/a>, Missouri, and Dyess AFB<\/strong><\/a>, Texas, also identified as preferred operating locations the\u202fAir Force Installation and Mission Support Center<\/strong><\/a>\u202fis planning for mission bed-down through installation assessments and planning, including any required infrastructure construction or upgrades.<\/p>\n

\u201cIMSC’s approach to installation management optimizes the Air Force\u2019s ability to rapidly deploy and sustain operations,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Richardson concluded his keynote address by reemphasizing the critical role of AFMC in ensuring the Air Force is postured to maintain a strategic advantage over the PRC and all other adversaries through the delivery of integrated capabilities across the mission set. The ability of the Air Force to fly, fight and win in all domains depends on AFMC.<\/p>\n

\u201cAs with the B-21, if our Airmen fly it, shoot it, fuel it, move it, drive it, wear it, communicate with it, or work in it\u2026AFMC powers every weapon system, every installation, for every command and every Airman,\u201d he said. \u201cTogether, our power is unmatched. Our work in the B-21 program embodies Air Force Materiel Command\u2019s core principle: Every individual capability, every piece of technology we develop, must maximize readiness and lethality, not just on its own, but as part of an integrated whole.\u201d<\/p>\n

To view the full recording of Richardson’s keynote address, visit the 2023 Air, Space & Cyber Conference website<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio (AFNS) — \u00a0 Using the acquisition and fielding of the Air Force\u2019s newest bomber as a backdrop,\u202fGen. Duke Z. Richardson, Air Force Materiel Command Commander, emphasized the critical role the organization maintains in outpacing and deterring the People\u2019s Republic of China in a high-profile address, Sept. 11 during the Air […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":27064,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-27062","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-uncategorized"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27062","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=27062"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27062\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":27065,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/27062\/revisions\/27065"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/27064"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=27062"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=27062"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adn.monetizemail.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=27062"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}